Kristina is now a FULLTIME freelance illustrator! - updated April 3rd

[Valyavande]

(now the fail comes, because I changed my account and forgot to log out my old one last time. so, old Nephilie is writing now)

Well, I don't think you need to do something really ugly if you're not in the mood - just give your roses some thorns. It's like Mona Lisa - she's famous like hell and people call her beautiful, even if she doesn't have eyebrows.
As I said, I know your paintings for many years and I know, you're the one to paint the beautiful things in the world. I only miss something like contrast and dynamic based on more hard lines. Prettiness is not a thing only for round shapes

[in2eternity]

Very inspiring work here! Thanx for sharing!

[Maidith]

why she's lying naked on the ground playing with a butterfly while the shepherd in the backround is watching, fully dressed.

Because she's a nymph and he's a peeping tom! XD
Thank you

Valyavande, thank you =) I'm sure I'll discover this some day! (we all need to get outside our comfort zone in order to improve)

in2eternity, thank you!

A new painting! Still life done at Angel Academy of Art
Oil on canvas, about 40x54 cm.

In the first complex still life assignment students do, they're given specific rules: There has to be an element with something handwritten in it, a small object with a strong color in the foreground, and a large, bulky element in the background.
Elements have to be arranged in such a way that there are three different levels of depth in the setup: the big, bulky thing far back has to be barely visible, the middle ground object lighter, and the frontmost object has to be lightest.

I painted a little bit every weekday while getting constant feedback from our painting teacher, the whole process stretched out over an entire trimester (about 3 months).

We use the so-called sight-size method for drawing and painting all objects (still lives AND plaster casts)

The work progress consists of several steps; basically they are:

1) preliminary simple drawing, getting shapes right
2) more detailed drawing
3) getting values right (monochrome)
4) blocking in flat but accurate color
5) refining, detailing, rendering, correcting - one object at a time

Thank you for looking! ;D

[Peter Berkovski]

very very very impressive work Maidith, I wish I could study there too
keep showing your beautiful work!

[hücumkedi]

damn last one!!! awesome thread

[JohnSantos]

New here at CA , I actually want someday to go study in Florence like you , hope I can

congratulations on your work , its really good!

BTW In those early pencil figure sketches , what grades of graphite did you use? Or what grades do the teachers there at Angel advice ?

Are those evening drawing sessions supervised by teachers as well?

do you get any anatomy lessons at the academy?

thank you and keep up the great work

[Maidith]

Peter & hücumcedi, thank you!

John - Thank you! =) To your questions:

- I (we) generally use darker, softer pencil grades for sketches. Like 2B, 4B or even 6B.
- Some evening drawing sessions are attended by a teacher (at least last time I was there, in the portrait class on Monday and Tuesday. I don't know about the others.)
- We have lectures about anatomy, and get homework to study anatomy from Bridgman and Vanderpoel's books. Other than that, the figure drawing from life, which is done every day, is a great anatomy exercise in itself.

New work from school! Enjoy...

[purplegoat]

Loving your sketchbook! You've come a long way since your first post. Keeping an eye on this for inspiration and more eye pleasing imagery

[Maidith]

Thank you purplegoat
Here I'm studying the different steps of figure construction, using the Glen Vilppu book... (these are my own studies, not from school this time)

[Featheredface]

Guh! I wish I could critique, but I do not have enough of an understanding in art to give a good critique for you yet!

Your skin tones are so godly. fjkfhjkflhflf And I do like the fluid and graceful curves of your gestures. Keep it up!

[Sandmadame]

Gorgeous Stuff here again. I'am impressed as ever and this fennel beats them all.

[hummel1dane]

Great work!!
Remember to draw transparent, continue lines that goes behind other lines.
It could also help to draw the groundplane, give the figures a very good stand.

[Velocity Kendall]

Your still lifes on this page are AMAZING
they remind me of willem kalf
http://www.azerbaijanrugs.com/mp-img...nking-Horn.jpg

[Tugelbend]

Hey Maidith! Gorgeous work!
I'd just like to ask if and how much, do you think, does your traditional painting support your digital painting skills? And if it does, why do you think that is?

[Maidith]

Featheredface, thank you =)

Sandy, thank you! Fennel for president! XD

Hans, tak Yes, I will remember the ground plane! (not in the following sketches, these were done before I read your comment XD)

Velocity, thank you! (though it's still a looong way to Willem Kalf level ;D)

Partheus, thanks Yes, I think the traditional work has helped my digital painting improve somewhat. The principles behind both are the same, it's just that in school I was made more aware of some principles that I had previously neglected - like the illusion of form and 3dimensionality. Or the drawing as fundament for everything else - if the drawing is weak, the whole thing won't work.

My own studies, continued...











Aaaaand a figure study from school, painted from life, oil on canvas, 40x50cm.

[Istmin52]

Great job on the oil painting so far. You have some amazingly strong skills in your observational work and your imaginative work is good too but I feel like some of your figures at times lack a bit in there anatomy. I think drawing faces is one of your strongest skills from imagination but it's not always the most consistent. Your studies will def help you at drawing better figures. Your stuff is great but I'm just throwing in my two cents. Your sketchbook certainly inspires me to keep working hard.

[Maidith]

Why the heck won't CA let me change the thread title anymore? O_o

I've gotten used to putting the date of my latest update in the thread title, and still do it, but the change doesn't show up. It stays updated at "February 23rd"... gah.

Moar sketchbook pages, I'm repeating this basic construct sketches thing a little longer, until it really sits.
Then I'll continue studying anatomy in more detail, learning the muscle names and stuff. Names don't matter, I know! (those muscles could be called Chocolate Cupcake or The Patriot for all that matters...) But naming them really helps to become aware of them, and to memorize them.
Later, I will focus on perspective.




Study from school, copy after our "Maestro" Michael John Angel. Oil on canvas, 30x40cm.

[Maidith]

New sketchbook pages!

[Maidith]

New sketchbook pages!








A new painting from Angel Academy - This is James (at least that's what I think his name is...)

Oil on canvas, about 45x90 cm.
Sorry about the image quality - I may be getting better at painting but I'm still an awful photographer.

[Niels23]

You. Are. Amazing!!! =))) So impressed with your figure studies - they look very nice. And oils - it look very cool! How long have you been studying oil painting?

[~Faust~]

Wow haven't seen your stuff in a while! Angel is doing good for you, I am majorly impressed! We should totally hang out!

[teapo]

wow... this is the first time i've came across your sketchook maidith i must say that i'm truly impressed by the progress you've made and i love you for appreciating the classical approach. *hats off to you* definitely subscribing!

[Malakuko]

Your new painting is beautiful! I love it. I think theres something up with the 3rd and 4th fingers on his right hand though. Also great work in your sketchbook

[ezekrialase]

Great sketches, I can already see the improvement in you're figure drawing! Your new painting is also really nice.

[JohnSantos]

Peter & hücumcedi, thank you!

John - Thank you! =) To your questions:

- I (we) generally use darker, softer pencil grades for sketches. Like 2B, 4B or even 6B.
- Some evening drawing sessions are attended by a teacher (at least last time I was there, in the portrait class on Monday and Tuesday. I don't know about the others.)
- We have lectures about anatomy, and get homework to study anatomy from Bridgman and Vanderpoel's books. Other than that, the figure drawing from life, which is done every day, is a great anatomy exercise in itself.

New work from school! Enjoy...

Thanks so much for answering my questions Maidith! I really liked the final painting you posted and the still life was great too!

I´m curious , If you can , tell me something , so portrait drawing is not included in the program at Angel´s? but it´s an outside thing? ( workshops and all ) .

thank you

[Molly-Fish]

Your figure drawing in #1 is amazing! Your line quality and understanding of value are very nice

[Maidith]

Ulver, thank you =) I'm studying oil painting since 2009/2010, but I've dabbled/experimented in the medium several times before, since I was 13.

Faust, thank you! Haha, almost forgot you are in Firenze too! XD Do you like it here? I see you're at FAA now - awesome!

teapo, thanks a lot

Malakuko, thank you!

ezekrialase, thanks =)

John, you're welcome!
There is a portrait class on Monday and Tuesday evenings. It's optional, but a teacher is present. (it's not really an "outside" part)
Also, graduates can choose to focus on portrait painting during a graduate year.

Molly-Fish, thank you!

A painting of James, done from life, 40x60cm.
Thought I had uploaded it here before... but I'm not seeing it, so here goes (again?)

I swear it's not that distorted in real life! (yes, I really suck at photographing)

[Teundeboer]

those still lifes are freaking amazing

[Maidith]

Teundeboer - thank you

Here's my latest, but not my last, still life from Angel Academy!
Oil on canvas, about 45x65 cm.

You can see a WIP photo here: http://img64.imageshack.us/i/imgp0008z.jpg/

Like in the previous still life, I used the sight-size method here to get the proportions, relations and sizes of the objects drawn correctly in the earliest stage.
After this drawing stage, dark shapes are blocked in. Only then are colors blocked in - very simple, flat colors at first. Then each object is refined and detailed and brought to a finish. We start with the fruit (or whatever perishables we're using), since they, well, rot really quickly XD
This is why some fruit is missing from the WIP photo. We sometimes have to replace things that get squishy and moldy, but I try to finish them really quickly so that I can still eat them afterwards. So far, successfully: I had to throw away just one orange.

The white cloth is my pillow case (No worries, I had another one to sleep on). I wanted something white, and I'm too lazy to buy a nice lacy tablecloth at the market, you see.
(And who knows how many poor Chinese immigrants are getting exploited, working under inhumane conditions in the textile industry in Prato °__° I'm not buying pretty, cheap clothes in the Chinese stores in Florence anymore.)

The pretty glass is courtesy of my landlady, Vanda (grazie mille!)

[kayness]

ABSOLUTELY digging everything, hun - the figure studies, the still lives, the pastels and oils! WOW